Game-board.



Patented Apr. 30, |90I.

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(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY MCKEAN OONNER, OF SORANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME-BOARD.

sPEoIFIoA'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No., 672,938, dated April 80, 1901.

Application filed February 9 1900. Serial No. 4,651. rllo model.,`

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,HARRY MOKEAN CON- NER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, county of Lackawanna, State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Boards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to game-boards, and has for its object the provision of a combined chess, checker, or other game board, and receptacle for the game-pieces or men.

Stated more specifically, the object of the invention is the provision of a chess, checker, or other game board which can be utilized to form in connection with a suitable frame a box or receptacle for holding the game-pieces or men when not in use, thereby obviating the use of a separate box or holder for the gamepieces and providing acompact arrangement of the game-board when out of use.

Theinventiou comprises a box-like frame and independent Sections of a game-board,

which constitute the removable top and bottom pieces for said frame and which are adapted to be fitted together when removed from the frame to form the game-board to be played on. When the Sections of the gameboard are properly fitted to the frame, a complete box or receptacle is provided for holding the men or game-pieces, and When it is desired to play av game the board-Sections are removed and fitted together.

Among the advantages possessed by the present invention are compactness of the parts and combining of the board andv men, which prevents accidental misplacement of either.

The invention is designed primarily for use as a checker or chess board; but it is susceptible of adaptation to practically any game comprisinga board and men or pieces to be played thereon.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention when arranged as a box or holder; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the slides or game-board Sections as removed from the frame and fitted together; Fig. 3, a cross-section taken through Fig. 1, showing the playing-pieces or men'in the box; Fig. 4, a perspective view of a modified construction with the cover-slide broken away to disclose the playing-pieces and the turn-button also broken away; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the slides or game-board sections fitted together and representing the construction shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 6, a Section taken through Fig. 5, showing the securing-rod in full lines.

The frame of 'the box or receptacle consists of the side pieces 1 and 2 and end pieces 3 and 4, secnred together in any suitable manner, th ns providing a rectaugular frame which is open at both top and bottom. The two sides and the end 4 are of the same height; but the end 3 is somewhat narrowerin order to provide room for the thicknesses of the sections of the game-board. Projecting inwardly from the side pieces 1 and 2 and longitudinally thereof above the upper edge of the end piece 3 are dovetail strips 5 and 6. Immediately below the lower edge of the end 3 and projecting inwardly from and extending longitudinal'ly of the sides 1 and 2 are strips ,7 and 8, having a dovetail groove therein. Below these strips, on the sidesl and 2, are dovetail strips 9 and 10.

The game-board is composed of three pieces or Sections 11, 12, and 13, although agreater or lesser number could be employed. These Sections are just wide enough to fit in Snugly, yet 'easily, between the side pieces 1 and 2 and to come fiush with the end 3 when slid in position in the frame. The sectlons 11 and 13 have dovetail grooves 14 in their opposite edges to receive the corresponding dovetail strips on the side pieces of the frame, and they constitute the top and bottom of the frame, while the section 12 has dovetail strips 12' on its edges, which are designed to slide in the grooves of the strips 7 and 8, and this section constitutes a false bottom for the frame when fitted therein. When the Sections are in closed position in the frame, they appear as shown in Fig. 1, and they are prevented from sliding out by a turn-buttonvl, which is pivoted at its center to the section 3. Fig. 3 illustrates the manner in which the playimg-pieces or men 16-in the present instance checkers-are held in the box. It will be observed that the section 11 constitutes a sliding cover, which can be opened or closed, as

IOO

desirable, to give access to the irrterior of the grooves on the Sections permits of their being assembled or connected together in the manner shown in Fig. 2, where the section 12 is in the middle and the Sections 11 and 13 have their grooves receiving the dovetail Strips on the edges of said section. The dovetailed strips and grooves insure a tight connection between the board-Sections, and said Sections being provided with a suitable playing-Surface-in the present instance a checkered one-provide an excellent game-board.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 4:, 5, and 6 the strips and grooves of the frame and those on the Sections of the gaineboard are made plain instead of being dovetailed. The Sections 11, 12, and 13 are arranged to slide in and out of the frame and are fitted together, as before; but to prevent separation of the Sections when arranged to constitute the board I provide a securingbolt 17, having a head 18 on one end and a nut 19 on its other screw-threaded end 20, which passes through alined holes extending transversely through the Sections. The outer edges of sections ll and 13 are provided with cuts or notches 21 and 22 to receive the head and nut, respectively, and of sufficient size to permit turning thereof while the bolt is being adjusted to clamp the Sections together. The middle section 12 is provided with a bolt-hole 23, extending therethrough from end to end, and has the notches 24 and 25 to accommodate the bolt, bolt-head, and nut when the Sections of the game-board have been detached and are fitted into the frame, as shown in Fig. 4.

I am aware that the invention is susceptible of many changes, and I do not therefore limit myself to the precise constructions herein shown and described, but consider that I am entitled to all variations falling within the Spirit and scope of the invention.

Having t-hns described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a combined receptacle or box and game-board, the combination with a frame, of game-board Sections having grooves and tenon-strips whereby they can be fitted together to form a game-board, and corresponding grooves and tenon-strips on the frame for engaging the grooves and strips on the gaineboard sections when Said Sections are detached from each other and fitted in the frame.

2. In a combined receptacle or box and game-board, the combination with a box-like frame, open at top and bottom, and provided with tenon-strips at its top and grooves and tenon-strips at its bottom, of a covei` for the frame having grooves in its edges to receive the tenon-Strips at the top of the frame, a false bottom having tenon-strips to fit in the grooves on the frame, and a main bottom having grooves to receive the tenon-strips at the bottom of the frame, said cover, false bottom, and main bottom being provided With playing-Surfaces and adapted to be fitted together by their tenon-strips and grooves, to form a game-board after they have been removed from the frame.

In testimony Whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY MCKEAN CONNER.

Witnesses:

L. B. BEssAc, F. S. FINE. 

